- Joined
- May 29, 2012
- Messages
- 66
I've been putting this off since I found this forum, but I guess I should probably introduce myself properly by telling my Crohn's story.
In 1997, when I was 16 years old, I began having a lingering pain that made me feel "drained" in my middle back, which then began to also "burn" in the top center of my abdomen. My family was in the middle of a really stressful move, so my mom suggested that I eat only things like bananas and white bread for a few days until we could take me to the doctor, in case it was an ulcer. I did. I lived on bananas for about a week, actually. The pain gradually got worse, and it became harder for me to eat at all.
Remember, family in the middle of a really stressful move, and I wasn't able to help much at all. Kept sitting down and not helping pack or move boxes. I recall overhearing my dad saying to my mom that I was "just trying to get out of helping". Finally, after about a week of this, my mom took me to my pediatrician, who said I didn't look like myself, so she sent me to a pediatric gastroenterologist. This man proceeded to treat me like a ****. He asked me (a virgin, who had never even kissed a boy at this point) several times whether I was "sure" I wasn't pregnant, and gave me a rectal exam without much warning or explanation as to why. Then pronounced that I was fine, and to only go back to the doctor if I started having diarrhea or vomiting.
Two days later I started vomiting. I couldn't keep anything down, and I couldn't stop vomiting. I went to the ER and got the third degree about pregnancy several more times and TWO pregnancy tests. It took three more days in the hospital (filled with morphine, vomiting constantly, etc) before a GI finally saw me. This man was like an angel. The first person who seemed to not be baffled by what my symptoms were. He did an endoscopy, and found that my duodenum had swelled completely shut, and was bleeding like crazy. This was my first flare and, thankfully, the worst.
Since then, my flares have been more mild, and have tended to be about every four years (with a couple of exceptions), with the disease turning up everywhere, but mainly stomach and terminal ileum. Apart from that first flare, I've only had to be on pred twice, and have maintained fairly well on Pentasa. I know I'm very lucky to be managing this disease so well. I pray that I never have to go through something like that first time again. I remember the doctor telling my parents after that first flare how the disease can progress - about colostomy bags and difficult pregnancies, etc. and my mom crying. I'm so thankful to say that I have had a healthy pregnancy and baby recently.
Thanks for reading - I'm sorry if this rambled. I am grateful to find this forum, since when I'm flaring I tend to want to find out all the information I can about my symptoms and I get really frustrated with my doctors. This is a nice place to both find information and vent without getting a lot of negative judgement. I hope I can also be helpful and encouraging to other members.
In 1997, when I was 16 years old, I began having a lingering pain that made me feel "drained" in my middle back, which then began to also "burn" in the top center of my abdomen. My family was in the middle of a really stressful move, so my mom suggested that I eat only things like bananas and white bread for a few days until we could take me to the doctor, in case it was an ulcer. I did. I lived on bananas for about a week, actually. The pain gradually got worse, and it became harder for me to eat at all.
Remember, family in the middle of a really stressful move, and I wasn't able to help much at all. Kept sitting down and not helping pack or move boxes. I recall overhearing my dad saying to my mom that I was "just trying to get out of helping". Finally, after about a week of this, my mom took me to my pediatrician, who said I didn't look like myself, so she sent me to a pediatric gastroenterologist. This man proceeded to treat me like a ****. He asked me (a virgin, who had never even kissed a boy at this point) several times whether I was "sure" I wasn't pregnant, and gave me a rectal exam without much warning or explanation as to why. Then pronounced that I was fine, and to only go back to the doctor if I started having diarrhea or vomiting.
Two days later I started vomiting. I couldn't keep anything down, and I couldn't stop vomiting. I went to the ER and got the third degree about pregnancy several more times and TWO pregnancy tests. It took three more days in the hospital (filled with morphine, vomiting constantly, etc) before a GI finally saw me. This man was like an angel. The first person who seemed to not be baffled by what my symptoms were. He did an endoscopy, and found that my duodenum had swelled completely shut, and was bleeding like crazy. This was my first flare and, thankfully, the worst.
Since then, my flares have been more mild, and have tended to be about every four years (with a couple of exceptions), with the disease turning up everywhere, but mainly stomach and terminal ileum. Apart from that first flare, I've only had to be on pred twice, and have maintained fairly well on Pentasa. I know I'm very lucky to be managing this disease so well. I pray that I never have to go through something like that first time again. I remember the doctor telling my parents after that first flare how the disease can progress - about colostomy bags and difficult pregnancies, etc. and my mom crying. I'm so thankful to say that I have had a healthy pregnancy and baby recently.
Thanks for reading - I'm sorry if this rambled. I am grateful to find this forum, since when I'm flaring I tend to want to find out all the information I can about my symptoms and I get really frustrated with my doctors. This is a nice place to both find information and vent without getting a lot of negative judgement. I hope I can also be helpful and encouraging to other members.
